Summary:
Exquisite copy of selections from the Būstān, the celebrated mas̲navī of Saʻdī (d.1292), renowned Persian poet and prose writer. Contributions to the cataloguing from Ali Rafi.
Subject(s):
Persian poetry--747-1500.
Masnavis, Persian--Early works to 1800.
Manuscripts, Persian--Michigan--Ann Arbor.
Colophon:
"Scribal," triangular, reads "تحريرا فى شهر ربيع الاول سنه ٩٩٣ كتبه العبد المذنب محمد الكاتب النور غفر ذنوبه وستر عيوبه بولايت باخرز در قريۀ رزه صورت تحرير يافت"
Script:
Nastaʻlīq ; exquisite hand in a delicate line ; serifless with effect of inclination to the right, words descending to baseline, elongation of horizontal strokes, pointing mainly in distinct dots.
Decoration:
Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening consisting of rectangular piece with gold cartouche carrying the title in red "بوستان" surrounded by delicate swirling floral vegetal designs in gold, white, and red on a field of lapis lazuli with gold accents, surrounded by bands of white (with black crosses), gold and turquoise and surmounted by a much narrower rectangular piece with black cartouches filled with delicate swirling vegetal design in gold, white and red and set off by orange, turquoise and gold accents, itself surmounted by a band of gold and black interlace and flanked by bands of white (with black crosses) and turquoise ; headings rubricated ; written area gold-flecked and surrounded by a frame consisting of a colored width of the paper (surface-dyed in shades varying by page) flanked by narrow bands of gold, turquoise, red, gold, blue and black, divisions within defined by narrow gold bands outlined in black fillets ; marginal decoration in grand floral vegetal motifs in gold.
Support:
Written area on non-European (likely Persian) laid paper set into border of tinted paper and mounted in frame of tinted (or marbled) paper of varying shades (dark blue, yellow, dark greek, pale pink, etc.), hinged together with contrasting tinted and gold-painted guards ; frames with 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal or vertical, quite distinct) and occasional chain lines visible (possibly grouped), quite well-burnished ; flyleaves in European laid paper with 7 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 27 mm. apart (vertical) and crown watermark (front) and with 12 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 20 mm. apart (vertical), and three hats watermark (back).
Binding:
Pasteboards faced in spring green silk with red leather over spine and edges / turn-ins (silk faced, leather edged framed binding) ; Type III binding (without flap) ; doublures and hinges in marbled paper (in dark blue and white) ; upper and lower covers carry gold-tooled guilloché borders defined by gold rules ; sewn in pink thread, four stations ; overall in fairly good condition with minor abrasion, etc.
Origin:
As appears in colophon, copied by Muḥammad al-Kātib al-Nūr with transcription completed in Rabīʻ I 993 [March 1585] in the village of Zarah [Zirih ?] in Bākharz.
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Ownership and History:
Kabīkaj invocation ("يا كبيكج يا كبيكج") on recto of front flyleaf ; inscription in pencil on verso of front flyleaf "536 T. D. M.[?]" ; former owners' marks on 'title page' include partially effaced ownership statement in name of one Ibrāhīm (ابراهيم) dated 1203 [1788 or 9] and effaced oval seal impression accompanied by title and description "بوستان با خط خرزى ١٢ سطر" ; otherwise clean copy.
Contributor(s) / Included work(s):
Unidentified-Can you help supply this information? Please comment!
Posted by evyn on March 8, 2010
Tags: Abdul Hamid Collection, Fully Catalogued, Persian MSS
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